Fear

Fear has been with us from the begging of our existence. Fear is a healthy response to places, people and situations that could lead to injury or an untimely death.

The funny thing about fear is the fact that in real life we shun it but in our fantasy life we embrace it. I have a lot of friends that tell me they can’t wait until the next slasher movie comes out. They read horror novels, watch television programs designed to elicit fear and terror in viewers not thinking about the true horror that runs through our daily lives.

Things like school shootings, airplanes coming close to diving off a cliff when landing not to mention the blizzards and extreme temps we have been experiencing this month. Weather can bring out the worst in people as they fight for supplies before the storm arrives.

As an artist I’m charged with some responsibility to at least try and make some sense of this irrational conundrum. Fear is fine as long as it’s not real or it’s not me. Cross either line and all bets are off. I’m not going to delve into the psychology of this. I’m going to offer a couple of pieces I’ve done recently that, for me, pick at that boundary between the real and not so real.

Stay warm. Hope you have gas for your generator and some bread to eat.